Ghana opened their Group L campaign with a dramatic 1–0 triumph over Panama at the BMO Stadium in Toronto; sealing the win with virtually the last kick of the match. The encounter was physically demanding from start to finish, with both sides battling for control in a tense World Cup opener.
Panama enjoyed the better spells in the first half, pressing aggressively and forcing Ghana to defend in numbers. Despite their dominance, the Central Americans repeatedly failed to convert promising moves into meaningful attempts on goal, leaving the match scoreless at the break.
Ghana grew into the contest after halftime, finding pockets of rhythm and creating a handful of half‑chances. Even so, the Black Stars struggled to apply the finishing touch, and the match appeared destined for a stalemate as regulation time expired.
Everything changed deep into added time. A loose ball broke kindly for Antoine Semenyo, who delivered a superb pass into the path of Brandon Thomas‑Asante. With precision and calm, Thomas‑Asante swept a low ball across the face of goal, where Yirentsi arrived unmarked to tap home the decisive finish. The late strike sent Ghanaian supporters into wild celebration and secured a crucial opening‑day victory.
In an instant, the entire Ghanaian section transformed into a sea of red, gold, and green, celebrating as if Toronto itself had become Accra.
In the group’s other fixture, England outlasted Croatia in a six‑goal thriller, winning 4–2 to take an early lead at the top of Group L.
